as in to eradicate
to destroy all traces of
the triumph of modern medicine in extirpating certain diseases
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Recent Examples of extirpate
Mountain lions were native to Arkansas until about 1920, when they were extirpated from the state through unregulated hunting and habitat loss.
—
Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 9 Oct. 2025
But by the 1930s, the apex predators had been extirpated from the area, largely due to hunting, government eradication programs and habitat loss.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025
While both black and brown bears can be found in abundance during a visit, the park made waves in 1995 with the reintroduction of gray wolves, an iconic species that was extirpated from the region in the early 20th century.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Wildlife officials have collared a dozen gray wolves in Northern California in an effort to better understand and manage the species that has made a comeback in the state after being extirpated a century ago.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extirpate
Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 9 Oct. 2025
But by the 1930s, the apex predators had been extirpated from the area, largely due to hunting, government eradication programs and habitat loss.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025
While both black and brown bears can be found in abundance during a visit, the park made waves in 1995 with the reintroduction of gray wolves, an iconic species that was extirpated from the region in the early 20th century.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Wildlife officials have collared a dozen gray wolves in Northern California in an effort to better understand and manage the species that has made a comeback in the state after being extirpated a century ago.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extirpate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extirpate
Verb
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How did the United States eradicate them?—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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For an easy summer cleaning tip, wash towels in hot water and toss 1/2 cup of baking soda into the rinse cycle to eradicate stale scents.—
Emerson Latham,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, and the Knicks erased a 14-point second-half deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 on Wednesday night.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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Her belief in a universal truth was not unique, but her pursuit of it was relentless and oddly self-erasing.—
Eliza Goodpasture,
ARTnews.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
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And actually one of his first public acts after signing the Constitution was to petition Congress to abolish slavery.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
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Avila Chevalier’s campaign priorities also include abolishing ICE, adding affordable housing and securing federal funds to repair the city’s public housing.—
Joseph Strauss,
Sun Sentinel,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Fueled by large stocks of critically dry vegetation and extreme winds, the fires killed 31 people, destroyed nearly 12,000 homes, and forced over 150,000 evacuations.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
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But satellite images reviewed by CNN show how Iran has used simple equipment such as bulldozers and dump trucks to counter those costly campaigns — suggesting that Tehran’s missile capabilities can’t be destroyed just by targeting tunnel entrances, experts said.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extirpate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extirpate. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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